Where influencer marketing went wrong (and how to fix it)

Each quest or journey will be filled with distractions, and if we aren’t careful, these distractions can pull us from the real target our sights should be set upon. For Indiana Jones, it was the pull of the glamorous, gold cup.

Experticity CMO Kevin Knight began his Word of Mouth Marketing Association Summit session with this Holy Grail analogy, highlighting that while other crusaders became distracted by a grail that appeared to fit the bill, Indy had a deep understanding of the Grail he sought. He didn’t seek the cup of a King, but rather the cup of a carpenter. He knew the history, he knew what others were missing, and he understood how to look beyond the lure of shiny objects.

Influencer marketing has not lived up to its promise of authentic, credible marketing. It was intended to be a source of qualified recommendations, but Knight boldly asserted that it is now just another vehicle for paid reach. While many marketers become distracted by the shiny objects of paid influencers, retargeting, and custom audiences, Knight instead believes marketers need to look first to the source of influence.

There are two kinds of influence, and “if there are different kinds of influence, then there are different kinds of influencers,” says Knight.

Knight went in depth during a follow-up webinar, including questions from the audience. After time spent at Pinterest, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and now Experticity, Knight has unique insight into the nature of consumer influence, and how marketers can best tap into a more credible from of marketing and advertising.